things worth paying attention to
Almost every stretchy fabric has spandex in it. Bad idea. Spandex is a synthetic, petroleum-based fiber, also called elastane, and sometimes trademarked as Lycra. The word “spandex” is an anagram of “expands.” The word “elastane” comes from “elastic urethane.” Spandex is made from at least 85% polyurethane, sourced from nonrenewable crude oil or natural gas.
What to wear? As with our diets, our clothing choices may find us unthinkingly doing things to our bodies that are very definitely bad for us. Like processed foods that aren’t really food, most of the clothes in our closets aren’t doing us any favors.
www.stephensgospel.com “Gospel: from the Old English gōdspel, from gōd ‘good’ + spel ‘news, a story’. 1) a thing that is absolutely true 2) a set of principles or beliefs. The site is intended to share with the world the core of Stephen Gaskin’s teachings. It is a work in progress, and so far shows excerpts from his books Monday Night Class and (the first half of) Caravan.”
Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEALL) is the collaboration of changemakers working together to transform
the economic system…. A Wellbeing Economy is an economy designed to serve people and planet, not the other way around. In a Wellbeing Economy, the rules, norms and incentives are set up to deliver quality of life and flourishing for all people, in harmony with our environment, by default.
“Transition means change — a shift from one way of living to another. The Transition Movement, which began in Britain and Ireland in 2006, has since grown into an international network of communities spanning 67 countries. It envisions a world where every individual can become part of a supportive community, feeling safe, welcomed, and empowered to thrive.”
Read free. “The intimate relationship between the human and plant world is easily discerned, but the production of substances profoundly affecting the mind and spirit is often not so easily recognized. These are the plants that make up the substance of Plants of the Gods, focusing attention on the origin of their use and the effect that they have had on man’s development. Plants that alter the normal functions of the mind and body have always been considered by peoples in non- industrial societies as sacred, and the hallucinogens have been ‘plants of the gods’ par excellence.”
Read free. “The object of the present volume is: to indicate the character and, approximately, the extent of the changes produced by human action in the physical conditions of the globe we inhabit; to point out the dangers of imprudence and the necessity of caution in all operations which, on a large scale, interfere with the spontaneous arrangements of the organic or the inorganic world; to suggest the possibility and the importance of the restoration of disturbed harmonies and the material improvement of waste and exhausted regions; and, incidentally, to illustrate the doctrine, that man is, in both kind and degree, a power of a higher order than any of the other forms of animated life, which, like him, are nourished at the table of bounteous nature.”
Read free. “Do I ascribe to any one philosophy? Yes. It is the philosophy of eternal life to be lived by yourself, the realization that you yourself pave the road by which you reach this state of consciousness. All the philosophies of the world are merely signs to let you know of the many crossroads and side roads. But you create your path and set the pace by which you follow it.”
Read free. “Most people would like to develop keener sensory response and expand their range of conscious awareness, but they think they don’t have the time. Once they realize that waiting time is really available time, that obstacle disappears. Other people are hesitant to explode their inner lives and perceptions because they believe it requires embracing some ideological or philosophical doctrine. Quite the contrary is true. Long periods of special training are not necessary, nor is involvement with an ideology or philosophy a requirement. Without drugs, without dogma, without magic or mysticism, we can discover and get in touch with a world of experience that will enrich our lives. The purpose of this book is to make that world accessible.”
Read free. “Even though fashion and beauty are now regularly prefixed with words like “green,” “natural,” “environmentally friendly,” “eco,” “healthy” and “sustainable,” the industry is not as healthy as it should be. There are still dark sides to both industries: dangerous chemicals in everyday personal care products, deadly pesticides used to grow cotton, child labor in gold mining and stone cutting, deforestation to make fashion, and toxic leather facilities. Consumers have the power to change these situations, if only they knew. Many of those issues could be easily avoided and then eradicated.”
Read free. The Internet Archive’s collection of 1.7 million unsorted manuals, to read online or download in various formats, for free. Access the collection at archive.org/details/manuals_contributions. Here are direct links to a few examples.
Read free. “My hope is that this book encourages deeper understanding of the nature of local community, and helps to revitalize and legitimize the principles of neighbourhood planning as a means of achieving sustainable development.”
Read free. A history of the EcoVillage at Ithaca, by one of its founders. “Rather than pull apart in destructive conflict, the human community could choose to pull together in cooperation and work collaboratively to create a sustainable future. I am heartened by research that indicates public attitudes and behaviors seem to be shifting in favor of more sustainable ways of living.”
Read free. “A residential or land-based intentional community is a group of people who have chosen to live with or near enough to each other to carry out their shared lifestyle or common purpose together. Families living in a cohousing communities in the city, students living in student housing cooperatives near universities, and sustainability advocates living in rural back-to-the-land homesteads are all members of intentional communities. Community is not just about living together, but about the reasons for doing so. ‘A group of people who have chosen to live together with a common purpose, working cooperatively to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared core values,’ is one way the non-profit Fellowship for Intentional Community describes it.”
Draft. Collection of DIY and Survival PDFs to download.
Draft. Collection of Civilian and Military Medical Manuals to download.
Read free. “The purpose of this paper is to outline a strategy for the use of a future weather modification system to achieve military objectives rather than to provide a detailed technical road map.”
Read free. Four Maker Projects books for kids by Megan Kopp. “A maker is someone who questions. Makers are creative. Makers are builders. They look for ways to improve existing things or develop totally new things. A makerspace is a place where makers can come together to share ideas, learn, and create. Many communities have makerspaces in libraries, schools, and museums.”
